Mason Via of Danbury is having a lot of fun. “So much fun,” Via, who had just boarded a bus for Florida, tells Carolina Journal. “It’s great. It’s killer.” Via, in his early 20s and a wildly talented string musician, has accomplished so much already. So much to be thankful for. Now, especially. Now that...
North Carolina remains vulnerable to fuel shortages because it’s too reliant on a pair of pipelines for gas and energy, industry leaders and experts told lawmakers. The point is made even more crucial because of a recent rise in both the number and sophistication of cyberattacks, such as the one that recently crippled the Colonial...
A Civitas poll out Thursday, May 13, finds North Carolina voters are growing sightly in their support for Republicans in the N.C. legislature, and decreasing slightly in their support of legislative Democrats. If the election were held today, 48% of those polled said they would support the Republican candidate, up from 46 % in March....
After a decade of financial struggle, the small town of East Laurinburg in Scotland County could soon cease to exist. It could be the start of a trend: State Treasurer Dale Folwell now warns that a growing number of North Carolina towns are at risk of insolvency. To date, a half-dozen other small rural N.C....
Liberal activist the Rev. William Barber is loudly calling for a special prosecutor to take over the case of Andrew Brown, who was shot after Pasquotank County deputies tried to serve him with search and arrest warrants. “Inept. Incompetent. Incapable of fixing this,” said Barber in a community protest, according to the News & Observer....
A disruption in East Coast gasoline supplies has sparked panic buying across the region, with North Carolina among the states hit hardest. Across the state, an average of 14.7% of gas stations report that they are on empty, but that number is higher in urban areas. In the Triangle, gasbuddy.com reports that about 60% of...
If you follow state politics, you have no doubt heard of crossover day on the legislative calendar. You may see a flurry of legislative news, updates, and emailed explanations of bills, all in the effort to move legislation through one chamber to the next. If a bill does not “cross over” that marble-tiled, fountain-filled corridor...
In a 25-minute sermon at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Wilson, former Congressman Mark Walker looks right at home. Walker is a preacher and a preacher’s son. His sermon is faith-based, not political. He asks congregants to turn to Matthew 16:24-25: Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny...
A measure that would keep charitable donors’ personal information private was approved in the N.C. Senate Tuesday. The 28-21 vote fell along party lines, with Republicans voting in favor of SB636. Despite assertions from some Democrats who said it could shield political “dark money” from public disclosure, the bill does not change the reporting requirements...
A new lawsuit filed Friday, May 7, in Carteret County would end Gov. Roy Cooper’s ability to issue executive orders linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The suit contends that Cooper has lost his authority to issue COVID-related orders because no state of emergency exists today. Raleigh-based attorney Chuck Kitchen filed the suit on behalf of...
A bill up for discussion in a House committee this week went surprisingly far to reveal the convoluted mess the state-run alcohol monopoly has become. Lawmakers call House Bill 669 Distribute Alcohol Without Discrimination, although that title is vague and misleading. The bill offers a taste of the spoiling mash. Made from a set of...
